PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel amassed a $5 billion Roth IRA, according to ProPublica. : Peter Thiel transformed a tiny Roth IRA worth approximately $2,000 into a $5 billion tax-free behemoth, according to an article from the investigative news site ProPublica. Guess what? Regular investors can also turbocharge their retirement account and navigate the tricky tax-rule straits, financial advisers say. But, they add, those investors also need access to capital, access to deals, luck, investing savvy, tax savvy (and/or cash for the professional advice) and stomach for the risk.